• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Carter Booth, Chair Antony Wong, Treasurer Daniel Miller, First Vice Chair Valerie De La Rosa, Secretary Susan Kent, Second Vice Chair Ryder Kessler, Assistant Secretary Bob Gormley, District Manager COMMUNITY BOARD NO. 2, MANHATTAN 3 WASHINGTON SQUARE VILLAGE NEW YORK, NY 10012-1899 www.cb2manhattan.org P: 212-979-2272 F: 212-254-5102 E : [email protected] Greenwich Village v Little Italy v SoHo v NoHo v Hudson Square v Chinatown v Gansevoort Market FULL BOARD MINUTES DATE: November 21, 2019 TIME: 6:30 P.M. PLACE: Scholastic Building, 130 Mercer Street, Auditorium BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Susanna Aaron, Keen Berger, Carter Booth, Chair; Katy Bordonaro, Anita Brandt, Richard Caccappolo, Ritu Chattree, Erik Coler, Tom Connor, Valerie De La Rosa, Robert Ely, Mar Fitzgerald, Cormac Flynn, Joseph Gallagher, Susan Gammie, Jonathan Geballe, Wayne Kawadler, Susan kent, Jeanine Kiely, Ryder Kessler, Michael Levine, Janet Liff, Edward Ma, Maud Maron, Daniel Miller, Brian Pape, Donna Raftery, Bo Riccobono, Sandy Russo, Rocio Sanz, Scott Sartiano, Shirley Secunda, Kristin Shea, Frederica Sigel, Susan Wittenberg, Antony Wong, Adam Zeldin BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT WITH NOTIFICATION: Amy Brenna, Robin Rothstein, Georgia Silvera Seamans, Shirley Smith, Chenault Spence, Cathy Sullivan BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: None BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT/ARRIVED LATE: Coral Dawson, Doris Diether, David Gruber, Patricia Laraia, Mattthew Metzger BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT/LEFT EARLY: Mar Fitzgerald, David Gruber, Maud Maron BOARD STAFF PRESENT: Bob Gormley, District Manager; Josh Thompson, Assistant District Manager, and Florence Arenas, Community Coordinator GUESTS: Jacob Priley, Senator Brad Hoylman’s office; Luke Wolf, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer’s Office; Claudia Zhu, Deter Nguyen, Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou’s office; Assembly Member Deborah Glick, Charles Anderson, Assembly Member Deborah Glick's office, Irak Cehonski, Council Member Carlina Rivera’s office; Anthony Drummond, Council Member Margaret Chin’s office; Stephen Nuzzo, Chandler Forsythe, Judy Pesin, Clive Morrick, Ana Rodriguez, Nichole Huff, Lucille DeVito, Pete Davies, Anne Mitcheltree, Frank Quinn, Cordelia Persen, Andrew Berman, Michael Certo, Charlie Dorsaneo, Michael Solomon MEETING SUMMARY Meeting Date – November 21, 2019 Board Members Present – 38 Board Members Absent With Notification – 6 Board Members Absent - 0 Board Members Present/Arrived Late - 5 Board Members Present/Left Early – 3 I. SUMMARY AND INDEX ATTENDANCE 1 MEETING SUMMARY 1 SUMMARYAND INDEX 2 PUBLIC SESSION 2 ADOPTION OF AGENDA 3 ELECTED OFFICIALS' REPORTS 3 BUSINESS SESSION 3 ADOPTION OF MINUTES 3 ELECTION OF OFFICERS 3 STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS 4 LAND USE & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 4 LANDMARKS AND PUBLIC AESTHETICS 5 QUALITY OF LIFE 6 SLA LICENSING 11 TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION 29 II. PUBLIC SESSION Non-Agenda Items Grandmothering Keen Berger invited everyone to her event for the introduction of her new book, Grandmothering. Last Month’s Meeting Sandy Russo spoke regarding an issue at last month’s Full Board meeting. Poe Room Event Nichole Huff invited everyone to NYU’s annual Poe Room event. Poe Room Event and Washington Sq. Music Festival Lois Rakoff invited everyone to these upcoming free events: Poe Room Event on 11/22/19 at the NYU Law School, at 6pm, and the Washington Square Music Festival on 11/24/19 at St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery at 3 pm. 14th Street Busway Judy Pesin spoke about issues regarding the busway. Michael Certo stated that the busway issues needed to be fixed. Land Use & Business Development Items Union Sq. So.-Application by the Dept. of City Planning requesting zoning map and text amendments to expand the Special Union Square District to create a sub-district bet 3rd and 4th Aves. in NoHo-CBs 2 & 3 Andrew Berman spoke in favor of the resolution recommending denial of the zoning map and text change. 2 Quality of Life Items Renewal Application to operate an enclosed sidewalk café for Baby Brasa, 173 7th Avenue South Clive Morrick spoke against the sidewalk café renewal application. ADOPTION OF AGENDA III. ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT AND REPORTING Jacob Priley, Senator Brad Hoylman’s office Claudia Zhu and Deter Nguyen, Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou’s office Assembly Member Deborah Glick Luke Wolf, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office Anthony Drummond, Council Member Margaret Chin’s office Irak Cehonski, Council Member Carlina Rivera’s office IV. BUSINESS SESSION V. ADOPTION OF MINUTES Adoption of October minutes 1.Chair's Report Carter Booth reported. 2.District Manager's Report Bob Gormley reported. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Following the adoption of the October full board minutes, the following members were elected as officers of Community Board 2: 1. Carter Booth (Chair) 2. Dan Miller (Vice Chair) 3. Susan Kent (Second Vice Chair) 4. Valerie De La Rosa (Secretary) 5. Ryder Kessler (Assistant Secretary 6. Antony Wong (Treasurer) 3 STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS LAND USE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Union Square South #20DCP058M is an application by the Department of City Planning requesting a zoning map and zoning text amendment to expand the Special Union Square District and create a sub- district between Fourth and Fifth Avenues in Manhattan Community District 2. Whereas: 1. This is an application for a proposed zoning change that would extend the Special Union Square District in include a new subdistrict to the south, which would be referred to as Subdistrict B. 2. Within the proposed Subdistrict B, hotel development and hotel conversions would require a special permit, to be approved by both the City Planning Commission and City Council. 3. The requested action is prompted by a wave of demolitions of original structures being replaced by new development that is out of scale and out of character for the area in terms of both design and use. Take, for example, the Moxy Hotel on East 11th St., which replaced five 19th century residential buildings on that block. 4. Much of the change stems from tech-related development, such as the new demolitions/developments at 799 and 809 Broadway. They are likely to increase with the approval of the upzoning for the new Tech Hub on 14th Street. 5. The City’s own EAS for this zoning change shows that the area in question is characterized largely by residential buildings and residential buildings with commercial ground floors and that only 15- 20% of the area is composed of purely commercial buildings. There is only one 546-square-foot vacant lot located within the middle of a block, the rest of the study area is improved. 6. Despite this residential character, the proposed zoning change, and city policy, continues to incentivize and project large-scale, purely commercial development for this area. 7. The City’s refusal thus far to recognize the historic significance of the current, albeit humble historic building stock that could be demolished as result of this action is disturbing. For example, CB2 strongly disagrees with the DCP’s analysis that there would be no adverse impact on neighborhood character if 11 and 13 East 12th St., 180-year-old structures with residences that once housed the renowned artists Reginald Marsh and J. Alden Weir, were demolished. 8. The EAS fails to correctly identify a broad range of historic resources in the area, including landmarked buildings, buildings that are listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, buildings, which the LPC itself previously identified as historic resources in past EASes, and buildings of clear architectural and historic significance that SEQR requires be included in the EAS. 9. CB2 agrees that it is important to ensure that future hotel developments are compatible with their surrounding context. However, CB2 has long been on record requesting both a change in zoning to better reflect the predominantly residential character of the University Place/Broadway corridor, which contains an incredibly rich array of architecturally and historically distinguished structures. 10. Thirty to 40 people opposed to this amendment attended this meeting; only two people spoke in favor. 11. The amendment does not address the overdevelopment issues that the area already faces and will undoubtedly result in high-rises replacing low- to mid-rise buildings, which will do nothing to enhance the character of the neighborhood just south of 14th St. 12. Concern was raised regarding the effect on increased traffic on the 12th St. corridor in the wake of the changes on 14th St. 4 13. Concern was raised about the protection of rent-stabilized and rent-controlled units. In its analysis for the proposed special permit requirement, DCP indicates that they anticipate residential buildings being demolished to make way for new office development, which we consider an undesirable change in use. 14. Extending the Union Square Special District, an area of a vastly and more commercial character, well into the south will open the door to further changes in land use policy that will treat this area not as part of Greenwich Village but as part of the City’s commercial core and will further extend Midtown South and Silicon Alley. 15. An example of the aforementioned creep is the demolition of the St. Denis Hotel at 799 Broadway, which resulted in the loss of over 100 small businesses that were vital to the life of this community—and contrary to the City’s purported commitment to preserve small businesses. 16. CB2 has long called for landmarking the area and we believe that that is an essential first step. We are also on record in support of contextual rezoning of the area (including a provision and incentive for inclusionary housing, with suggested building heights of 80-120 feet) and in opposition to both hotel and office tower development in the area and feels that this proposed amendment will do nothing to address those concerns. (Resolution to CPC, Jan 23, 2015 regarding contextual rezoning; letter to Landmark Preservation Commission, Oct. 22, 2018 re landmarking; resolution re special permit for 21 E 12th St., Dec.

Load more

  30

Copy Link